This Christmas we've been reflecting on Jesus simple invitation, “Come and Look, Come and See.” Long ago, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Christ. Isaiah 9:2 he wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned.” Here we are, and Christmas is just weeks away. How many of you have been following the UFO hysteria this week, over on the East Coast? People are filming these drones, with magical flashing lights. Others are descending into hysteria. What are these things? Where are they from? Are they of human-origin? Foreign-origin? Are they extraterrestrial?
Isaiah says of the coming Light, Isaiah 9:6-7, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.”
So far we've explored two invitations. First, the invitation to “Look Up” this Christmas. The wise men, the Shepherds, looked up, and in the dark night sky, hope dawned. In story after story, God meets people in their looking. God has a peculiar way of showing himself in just the perfect way each person needed. I take God at his word when he promises, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. If your heart is pure, I believe you will see God in the way you most need. Maybe not the way you need, or expect, but certainly in the way you most need. Draw near to God, and he'll draw near to you.
Second, we unpacked the invitation of all of Scripture to “Look Back.” Consider how Jesus, on the road to Emmaus, revealed himself to the two disciples. Luke 24:14-16, “Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him.”
Jesus innocently inquires, “So whatcha guys arguing about?” As they unwittingly tell Jesus about all the rumors swirling about Jesus’ death, burial, and supposed resurrection appearances … Jesus could have said, “Guys, Look, its me.” But instead, like an undercover BOSS Jesus says, Luke 24:25-27, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” Everyone in the Christmas story (Easter) “Looks Back" through Scriptures, in order to make sense of all they’re experiencing.
Years ago, Christopher Wright wrote a book called, “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament.” This week I re-read that book, just in a spirit of worship, pondering all the ways the old testament helps us more clearly see Jesus.
This morning, I have yet another invitation for you to consider. Are you ready? In the Christmas Story, Matthew puts the focus on Joseph. For some reason, he’s relatively disinterested in Mary. She's only mentioned in passing. In stark contrast, Luke brilliantly captures Mary's wonderment at every turn. In Luke 1:30-33, an angel appears to Mary and announces “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” Afraid! Who’s afraid. I'm not afraid, you’re afraid! LOL. Mary marvels at what she's being told, “How can this be, I've never had sexual relations with a man!”
“Yep!”, the angel says! Luke 1:35-37, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” She says in Luke 1:38, “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.”
When Mary greets Elizabeth, and her baby (the soon to be John the Baptist) leaps in her Elizabeth’s womb, Elizabeth sees it as a sign and she blesses Mary. Mary bursts out in praise, Luke 1:46-55, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.” Luke shows how in instance after instance, Mary “savors" or “marvels" over what is being said about or what is being revealed about Jesus.
In Luke 2, after Jesus is born, and the shepherds come to Jesus telling Mary and Joseph about all they'd seen and experienced when they Looked Up… Luke 2:17-18 says of Mary, “But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.”
In Luke 3, when adolescent Jesus stayed behind in the temple courts, as his parents made their pilgrimage back to Nazareth. Jesus is questioned and tells Joseph and Mary that he had to be about his Father's business and that's why he stayed in the temple. In Luke 3:50-52 Luke notes, “They did not understand what he said to them. Then [Jesus] went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.”
There isn't anyone who “LOOKS INTO" the eyes of their child, especially their firstborn, more than a mother. Essentially, Luke (in his gospel) is inviting us to look at Jesus through the eyes of a mother. Nobody is more observant than a mother. A mother notices everything about their child! A mother notices any change of color, any change of sound, any change of smell. A mother notices every interaction her child is having with strangers, what is being done, what is being said. Mothers engage in a rather peculiar hobby that men never engage—Scrapbooking. A mother wants to capture, savor, marvel, treasure up, capture, meditate, ponder everything about her child. In Luke's Gospel—Mary is mentally scrapbooking every moment of Jesus' life from the cradle all the way to the cross.
Once you LOOK UP and realize the light of the world has dawned. Once you LOOK BACK and realize God is faithful and sending his One and Only Son into the World that man not perish, but believe and have eternal life. What comes next of course is the task with MARY of “LOOKING INTO” the face of Jesus. Is this Jesus truly the Son of God and Savior of the world? Is there anything truly unique, indeed supernatural, to this child born on Christmas day?
To Look Into the Face of Jesus is to, for yourself, ponder his identity, it’s to marvel, and treasure up, indeed to soak up with a mother's eyes what is the beauty and uniqueness of Christ.
In his book, “The Last Battle,” (from the Chronicles of Narnia series), C.S. Lewis invites us to enter the manger scene in a profound way. In the story several characters encounter a mystical stable scene. “It seems, then,” said Tirian, smiling himself, “that the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places.” “Yes,” said the Lord Digory. “It’s inside is bigger than it’s outside.”
“Yes,” said Queen Lucy. “In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” It was the first time she had spoken, and from the thrill in her voice Tirian now knew why. She was drinking everything in more deeply than the others. She had been too happy to speak.
When Mary LOOKS INTO the eyes of Jesus, she saw One who was bigger than our whole world. And not just Mary, but person after person, gospel writer after gospel writer, disciple after disciple. When you look into the face of Jesus who or what do you see? One smaller or bigger than you? One smaller or bigger than life itself? One smaller or bigger than all Creation?
The Holy Spirit supernaturally allowed Isaiah the prophet, on many occasions to look into the face of Jesus. What did Isaiah see? “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.” Isaiah saw in Jesus’s face a child as big, and great, and Divine as God himself. He saw a King whose Kingdom or Throne was greater than even the greatest of thrones.
In Isaiah 52:4-10 God announces through Isaiah, “Therefore my people will know my name; therefore they will know on that day that I am he who says, ‘Here I am.’” 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 The voices of your watchmen—they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together; for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion. 9 Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has displayed his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah looked into the eyes of Jesus and saw the holy arm of God at work to bring salvation to all the ends of the earth.
Could Jesus be the One all the world has waited for? Could he be God? The only way you can answer that is to look into the face of Jesus for yourself. Others have looked up, looked back, looked into Christ—But have you looked?
John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Do you see Him?
John, the most intimate companion of Jesus writes. John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.”
John the Baptist, John 1:29-30, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’” Philip, in John 1:45 exclaims to Nathaniel, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
Hebrews 1:1-4, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4 So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.”
Colossians 1:15-20, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Invitation: “Look Into” Jesus. Investigate the Light. Jesus, Child. Man. Know the story of Christmas. God is coming near, he is visiting us in the person of Jesus Christ. How well do you know Jesus and the life he lived? Behold this one born…
-------------
Spectacular kaleidoscopic array of light, beauty… uniqueness.
The Suspense /Scriptures of Jesus. He is expected, predicted, historical, really real man.
The Spirituality of Jesus. He is anointed. Spirit Filled, Spirit Led, Spirit Driven
The Sobriety/Stance of Jesus. He is focused, not affected, intensity, rational, spiritual. From early age the way he grew up, the way he was in temple from beginning.
The Sympathy of Jesus.
The Sanctity of Jesus. State of being Righteous, Holy, Sacred, Saintliness. Without sin. Blameless. Pure. Perfect. Spotless.
The Sharpness/Sayings of Jesus. WORD. Wisdom, Truth, Discernment, Perception, Intuition, intelligence, wit, smartness, sense.
The Strength/Power of Jesus. Supernatural. Creator. Resurrection are bookends, anything between is just decoration.
The Simplicity/Simple
The Self-Sacrifice/Servanthood of Jesus. Not my will.
The Sonship of Jesus.
The Salvation of Jesus. From power of sin (repentance, forgiveness) and death (resurrection, life).